Thursday, March 22, 2012

Oh my, my!  I am blushing.

Really, I am honored and pleased to be featured on The Pinwheel Collective!

Here is the opening of the story about KathleenTemple, Tailor:


KATHLEEN TEMPLE, TAILOR

Kathleen has become a friend and creative guru throughout the past year. With a cozy studio full of color, texture, art, and touches of her beloved family, Amelia & I were able to spend time in her workplace, hearing about her fully passionate life.
I, Katie, was lucky enough to have Kathleen revamp my mother’s wedding dress to wear to my own wedding this past fall. Kathleen brought much more than a skilled hand to this endeavor—she excitedly came up with ideas for this dress, crafting it until it was a perfect representation of what I had in mind.
Kathleen is a true artist, bringing creativity, wonder, fascination, and joy to every client and garment....

Go to The Pinwheel Collective to read more and to see the lovely photos these talented photography sisters created.  Thanks so much, Amelia and Katie Schmid! (THE PINWHEEL COLLECTIVE)

See the Fold-Front Tunic!

It's bias-draped in the front!
It's rayon georgette!
It's too comfortable not to wear every day!

I recently designed this Fold-Front piece because I have been in love with the fabric for years and wanted something super simple and drapey to show it off.  Tunics work so well with skinny pants or with skinny skirts.


 I love contoured hemlines; this design furnishes the contour automatically!







Both porch-lovin' cats were helping me out.  Silver first, the Zorro stole the show.




YES, I surely can make one for you, in your choice of fabric(s).  Click HERE for more info.  If I were to make yours just like this one (but in your choice of color/fabric) the price would be about $65.  Let me know if you want one!

Monday, March 12, 2012

I googled myself!

.... And look what I found!  This, from the website "Richmond Weddings"  (thanks, Sarah, for the write-up on me!)

 

Kathleen Temple, Tailor

Services: 

Dress & Attire

Harrisonburg
 
Overall Rating
5.0 out of 5.0
Quality of Service:
5.0/5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0/5.0
Professionalism:
5.0/5.0
Value for Cost:
5.0/5.0
Flexibility:
5.0/5.0
 
1 Total Review
Sarah
Wedding: 5/1/11
5.0 out of 5.0
Quality of Service:
5.0/5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0/5.0
Professionalism:
5.0/5.0
Value for Cost:
5.0/5.0
Flexibility:
5.0/5.0
Kathleen did an excellent job fitting my wedding gown, which I had purchased elsewhere. Kathleen also used photos I provided to design a unique side-bustle that complemented the style of my gown. Kathleen is a joy to work with; she seems genuinely happy to work with you on the dress of your dreams. She is positive and upbeat, and can get you in quickly for a consultation or fitting. If I called, often she could fit me in that day, or within the next three days. I have also had Kathleen make adjustments to two other dresses, and was similarly impressed with the speed and quality of her work. One of my friends had Kathleen design and make her wedding gown from scratch. It turned out absolutely gorgeous. I would recommend Kathleen for either dress-making or tailoring a gown bought elsewhere.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

A VaVaVoom Suit. I'd say so!

I am so lucky!  I get to sew for fabulous people who love fabulous fabrics!  This rich blue and green peacock jacquard fabric is incredibly lively, yet sophisticated and chic in its drawstring-waist sheath incarnation.  The sleeves come to just above the elbow, the dramatic fold-over collar in navy blue wool brings out the dark blue of the peacock colors.  Knee length, this VaVaVoom dress is going to wow the crowd when my beautiful customer gets up to deliver her talk at a conference later in the spring!
 

...trying to get my camera to show you the colors properly...

The back of the dress, with its inverted box pleat at the hem.  When she walks, the woman of this dress will show a bit of navy blue wool at the back of the hem.  The lower part of this dress, by the way, is narrower at the hem, creating this great "wiggle" dress in peacock plumage!

Over the peacock wiggle dress, she can wear the coordinating navy blue wool duster-length jacket.  It has 3/4 length sleeves and shares the raglan-sleeve styling of its dress.  It is A-line in shape, but is contoured at the waistline.

Turn around slowly....  the back of the jacket dips a bit longer in back, creating a swing-coat sort of effect....

The jacket is trimmed at the neck and front edges with the peacock fabric of its dress!


The one small pocket on the jacket will be handy, but also will enhance the waistline by its size and placement. (btw, A., it can be easily removed if you'd rather your jacket's sleek lines be totally uninterrupted!)

The jacket can be worn with its peacock neckline over the dress collar, if desired.

...small slits at the openings of the 3/4 length sleeves...

VaVaVoom Suits!  Bring 'em on!

I am posting this feature about the Peacock Colors VaVaVoom suit primarily for my customer to be able to see the ensemble before I ship it off to her tomorrow.  I am so glad, also, for everyone else in the world to get to see this great suit she and I collaborated to create.  Please let me know what sort of awesome suit I can start making for you, too!

A knit skirt plus a fancy knit top

Ginny and I found a stray small piece of swimsuit fabric among the beautiful knits at Ragtime Fabrics the other day.  I made it into a faux wrap skirt by building a wide yoke/waistband to the top of it.  The wild geometric print knit laps over itself in front, but the skirt is a pull-on piece by virtue of the stretchy wide band at the top.  I haven't yet listed this skirt in my etsy shop, but I will soon!


The whole skirt is quite stretchy.  Yes, I can make one for you out of any knit fabric you may choose!



 And now we move onto the Fancy Knit Top.  What a lovely design!  My dear friend in Boise sent me a picture of a similar top and I said SURE I can make one like it!  She chose one of the wonderful knits I have here in my studio (rayon/lycra, very light and soft) and I crafted it to her specifications.

This is part of the gracious email I received from her after she opened the package of her Fancy Knit Top:  "my goodness i can't tell you how much i just love my new top! simply stunning and love the fabric color and fit ... almost like i was there and we had a personal fitting. ... you might get me spoiled into thinking that i need ALL of my clothes custom made! {i wish} thanks again ... i will treasure it and think of you when i wear it."

 .....  I guess she likes it!  I know. I love it too!  If you love it and you'd like one of your own, visit my etsy shop and check it out.....   click here.



Let no one claim....

Let no one claim that blue-black cannot SHINE.

Blue-black cotton voile, edged with royal blue silk velvet.



This stunning dress is soon to begin her journey to New York to be worn by my lovely customer who commissioned the dress.

The project began this way:
The image showed me some aspects of my customer's dream dress.  When she sent me the blue-black cotton voile and the royal blue silk velvet, she sent me the image and some written notes to describe what I should do.  We together redesigned the neckline ideas (corresponding by email all through the process) and I created the dress.





 The left side of the dress opens and closes with a hidden placket of snaps.

Outdoor light shows the BLUE all the more.  In some light, the cotton voile appears to be simply black.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

O-Back Jumper, just finished!

I just finished the final stitching on this wonderful little O-Back Jumper for one of my customers.  It is just like my sample   O-Back Jumper   except that it is made to the measurements of my customer and features her chosen fabric.  She chose this great wool twill, and I lined it in black satin lining.



The fabulous O-Back!



At the top of the O-Back, I fashioned a terrific closure with little interlocking loops and round buttons, anchored by a hidden black snap beneath the loops.



A tiny black button graces the front edge of the neckline.

to brainstorm two outfits

We are going to begin two different outfits here.  Both are, ummm....  "business suits".

Wait. It might be against the law to call these fabulous proposed ensembles by such a designation.

The fabrics.  Oh my, the fabrics.....

The first fabric is a sumptuous turquoise knit, richly textured.  The knit has a soft yet substantial hand that drapes in gentle folds.






And here is one design idea for the turquoise suit (I can't bring myself to call it a business suit, though it will be very classy and professional):
The jacket would be a short sleeved, unlined beauty to accent the waistline.  The neckline can be open down to bust level, at which point the jacket will close with a discreet hidden snap placket.  At the banded waist (I can ruch the waist piece a bit at center front-- very graceful), pretty buttons and loops will flatter the waist point.  A semi-flared peplum hem further adds to the waist-focus of the jacket.  I would cut the elbow-length sleeves to be a bit flared as well, to echo the flare of the peplum.

The jacket can be worn over a simple, sleek sheath dress of the same turquoise textured fabric.  The dress will be sleeveless and fitted, with a slit center front neckline, a back zipper, and a narrow skirt of the "wiggle" variety.  There will be a center back slit for ease of movement at the knee length hemline.


And now, second ensemble:

The fabric for the second outfit is an outstanding wool knit in day-glo golden yellow.  It is a smooth knit with lots of rich body.



 And here is an idea for the sunshine wool knit's dress and matching jacket:

The dress can be of the same design as the sheath described for the turquoise fabric above. (sleeveless, slit center front neckline, fitted, and knee length with a center back slit at the hemline)

The jacket will be fitted like the sheath dress over which it is worn, showing off the shapely fit of the ensemble.  The jacket will be knee length, open-front, collarless, embellished with patch or in-seam pockets, and will feature 3/4 length sleeves which have little slit details at their hems.

This whole post is especially for a certain beautiful customer for whom I am pleased and honored to create custom clothing.  She and I will be corresponding out of the public "eye" (just email me, A.!) to work out all the details and brainstorms regarding these two outfits.  I am delighted to post our first tentative plans in this public post, though, just to give everybody else ideas and inspirations for great outfits.  Please contact me by regular email (kathleentempletailor@gmail.com) to set up some correspondence with me about ways I may help you to enhance your own wardrobe.  Thanks!!   -Kathleen

Thursday, March 8, 2012

That Jacket ZigZag

First, I must show you the fabric.
I mean, it is really extraordinary.  Lisa sent me the long, long piece of fancy silk when she was living in Turkmenistan.  I have draped it in my studio here and there over these past years, just waiting until the perfect design idea might spring to my mind and heart.  

I hope I am doing at least some justice to this gorgeous fabric!

I am ready to make more jackets of this design.  Any fabric can work, actually, even if it is different from the narrow fancy-edged stuff.  Ready to experiment any time now.....
Contact me via my etsy shop and we can discuss your dream Jacket ZigZag.